Speech-reproducing device



G. F. ATWOOD.

SPEECH REPRODUCING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. I9I7 1,337,304. Patented Apr. 20,1920.

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G. F. ATWOOD! SPEECH REPRODUCING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1917.

1,337,304. Patented Apr. 2% 191M 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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G. F. ATWOOD.

SPEECH REPRODUCING DEVI CE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. 1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. ATWOOD, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SPEECH-REPRODUCING DEVICE.

Application filed June 22, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. ATwooD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speech-Reproducing Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to a speech reproducing device, which is particularly adapted for use in telephone exchange systems for the purpose of repeating telephone numbers or letters designating a telephone line. The device of the invention may be applied to telephone exchange systems in which an operator, upon receiving from a calling subscriber the designation of a called line, may set up such designation on.

a suitable keyboard, and such keyboard may be arranged to control a speech reproducing device, such as that which forms the subject matter of the present invention, to repeat to another operator the designation of the called line. If, as is usually the case, the lines are numbered and letters are also used to designate certain lines in connection with the numbers, the device, as a whole, must be capable of repeating any one of ten numerals from zero to nine in addition to several letters, usually four. Therefore, there are necessarily fourteen recording surfaces employed, which recording surfaces must be selected in various combinations in response to the operation of keys. A system of this general character is shown in an application of A. E. Lundell, filed June 17, 1916, Serial No. 104,321, but the speech reproducing device forming the subject mat ter of this invention is independent of the particular system which is used, and, consequently, may be used in a variety of systems.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device of this character in which, regardless of the particular instant that the keys are operated, a record will be availableio reproduce the number cor responding to such key, and, furthermore, that the reproduction may not be mutilated by commencing in .the middle of a Word or repeating simultaneously parts of two records at the same time.

In accordance with a feature of the present invention, there is provided a pair of complete phonographs for each numeral or Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

Serial No. 176,386.

transmitters are alternately connected in ircuit with a line leading to an operators position or to another telephone station, the number represented by the particular record placed on that particular pair of phonographs will be repeated indefinitely or until the circuit of the transmitter, which is then in service, is interrupted. It is essential in systems of this character that a record be always available, and consequently, that one or the other'of the two phonographs should always be reproducing from its record. The

records are identical and consist, as before stated, of a repetition of the'same number or letter. 7 t

In order that the reproduction from a pair of phonographs may be continuous, in accordance with a feature of the present invention, mechanism is provided for the purpose of restoring the reproducer of one phonograph to the beginning of the record of such phonograph while the, other phonograph is reproducing, and these operations are arranged to overlap, to a certain extent, so that there will not be any interval when no reproduction can take place, except such intervals as are normally between successive reproductions of the'same numeral or letter.

As the pairs, of phonographs for reproducing each numeral or letter are identical in every respect, only a single pair will be disclosed on the drawings and described, although it will be understood that a complete system will include several ofvsuch pairs.

In the accompanying drawings, therefore, Figure 1 represents an end elevationof an equipment suflicient for the reproduction of a single number; Fig. 2 represents a plan View of the same; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the electrical circuits employed in connection with such equipment,

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, upon a common base 1 there is mounted a pair of phonographs denoted, in general, as 2 and 3. As these phonographs are identical in construction, a description of one will sufiice for the other. The mandrel of the usual type, indicated at 4, is provided for the purpose of receiving the record 5. This mandrel is journaled in a suitable bearing, such as6, and is adapted to be driven from a shaft 7 when the clutch 8 is thrown. The clutch 8 may be operated by hand by means of a lever (not shown),

and, when so operated, causes the record to rotate at a speed determined by the speed of the shaft 7. The shaft 7 is providedwith a spiral gear 9, which meshes with a corresponding gear 10 on the main shaft 11, which main shaft may be constantly driven by a suitable motor, while the equipment is in use. Also carried on the shaft '7 is a spur gear 12, which meshes with a second gear 13, which, in turn, meshes with the gear 14 The gear- 13 is fixedly secured to a shaft 15, and the gear 14 to the shaft 16. Owing to the arrangement of the gears 12,

13 and 14, the shaft 16 is rotated in the same direction as shaft 7, and the shaft 15 in the opposite direction. The shafts 15 and 16 are rovided withthe feed screws, indicated at 1 and 18, the purpose of which is to feed the reproducer longitudinally, and it will be observed that these two feed screws are constantly rotated in opposite directions and that" feed screw 17 rotates slightly faster than feed screw 18. Mounted in suitable hearings on the base plate 1 is a shaft 19. Upon this shaft the reproducer carriage, in-

dicated at 20, is adapted to slide, such carriage being provided with a collar 21, which surrounds the shaft. The reproducer carriage is also provided with a lug 22, which is adapted to slide upon a longitudinal rail, indicated at 23, as will presently be described, this rail 23 being adapted to occupy one of two positions at all times, and to place the reproducerin operative or inoperative position. The movement of the rail 23 from one position to the other is accomplished through a pair of levers 24 and 25, which are secured to the shaft 19 at one end, and to the rail 23 at the other end, by means of the short adjustable links 26. The reproducer carriage is provided with two projecting lugs, indicated at 72 and 27, to which are secured the forwardly projecting arms 28 and 29, each of which carries a half nut adapted to engage with the thread of one or the other of-the feed screws 17 and 18 for the purpose of feeding the reproducer carriage longitudinally, the arrangement being such that, when the reproducer carriage is in its elevated position, the-feed nut on the arm 28 is placed in engagement with the feed screw 17, and, correspondingly, the feed nut of. the arm 29 is out of engagement with the feed screw 18: \Vhen the reproducer carriage is lowered, the feed nut of run in the same direction, it is obvious when v the reproducer carriage is lowered, such carriage is fed from left to right, and when the reproducer carriage is raised it is fed from right to left at an increased speed. Pivotally mounted on the reproducer carriage is an arm 30, on the outer end of which is mounted a reproducer 31 of the usual type, the recording point of which is adapted to engage the record when the reproducer carriage is in its lowermost position. Secured to the shaft 19 is also a projecting arm 32, the lower end of which is adapted to engage a pin 33 mounted on a shaft 34. The shaft 34 also carries a disk 35, provided with two notches, indicated at 36, as shown on Fig. 1, and also on Fig. 3. Normally either one or the other of these two notches is engaged by the upper end of a lever 37, which is secured to the armature of an electromagnet 38, the arrangement being such that, when the magnet 38 is momenta rily energized, the sha'ft34 is free to revolve until, the electromagnet 38 being de'energized the upper end of the lever 37 enters into one of the notches 36. Secured to the shaft 34 is a friction disk, indicated at 39, which is adapted to engage a second friction disk, indicated at 40, which is flexibly mounted, by means ofthe spring arms 70 on the shaft 11. Surrounding the main shaft is a clutch magnet 41, which, when energized, draws the. friction disk 40 into engagement with the friction disk 39, causing such friction disk to rotate the shaft 34 until the upper end of the lever 37 drops into one of the notches 36. As the magnet 38 is only momentarily energized, the energization of the clutch magnet 41 drives the shaft 34 through ahalf revolution when'the shaft is stopped by the upper end of the lever 37 engaging a notch 36. The lever 37 is provided with a portion, indicated at 42, which projects at right angles to such lever at its pivotal point. This projection carries at its outer end an insulated button 43, which engages with and operates a pair of contact springs. indicated at 44 and 45, which are suitably mounted and insulated from each other on a projection 71 of the main frame 1. Also mounted onthe main frame 1 is a pillar 46. Upon a horizontal projection of such pillar is mounted an ordinary tele hone transmitter, indicated at 47. In order that the transmitter may not be affected by the vibration of the moving parts of the machine, a felt pad, indicated at 48, is interposed between the pillar 46 and the arm 49, which supports the transmitter 47. The vibrations of the diaphragm of the reproducer are conducted to the diaphragm of the trans- I mitter by means of a flexible tube 50. A pofollowing operation.

larized relay, indicated as a whole at 51, is, for convenience, mounted upon the base 1 between the two phonographs, and, as will presently be described, serves to alternately place the transmitters 47 in-service.

J ournaled on a pair of pivot screws indicated at 52 (Fig. 2) is a lever 53 (Fig. 3).. This lever is adapted to be engaged by proj ection 54 (Fig. 3) which is mounted on the reproducer carriage 20, the arrangement be ing such that at the end of the travel of the reproducer carriage to the right the projection 54 engages the lever 53 for the purpose of operating the contact springs 55, 56, 57, 58 and 59. These contact springs are so arranged that when the lever 53 is operated the pair 55 and 56 are first brought into engagement, then the pair 58 and 59, and finally the pair 57 and 58'. The arm 25 is also arranged to operate a set of contact springs as is shown in Fig. 3. This set of contact springs comprises an operating spring 60, which is mechanically connected to and electrically insulated from the spring 61. Spring 61 is adapted to make contact with the spring 62 when the lever 25 is in its lower position and with the spring 63 when the lever 25 is in its upper position.

A cam 64 is secured to the shaft 16 and a similar cam 65 is secured to the shaft 7 as indicated by dotted lines on Fig. 1' and shown diagrammatically on Fig. 3. These cams are adapted to operate pairs of contact springs indicated at 66 and 67 respectively. As shaft 7 and the shaft 15 are driven one from the other, the cams 64 and 65 can be arranged so that they permit the contacts 66 and 67 to close at substantially the same instant.

The method of operation of the apparatus disclosed will now be described with particular reference to the diagram shown in Fig. 3. I i

It will be assumed that in this'particular instance, the phonograph 2 is reproducing and that the reproducer carriage of phonograph 3 is in the course of being restored to the beginning of its record. lVhen the reproducer carriage of phonograph 2 nears the end of its travel. the projection 54 carried thereby engages lever 53 and causes the The resulting engagement of the contacts and 56 establishes the following circuit: from battery, contact 56. contact 55, contact 63 of phonograph 3, contact 61 thereof, magnet 38 of phonograph 3,- to ground. Magnet 38 pulls the armature 37 from the notch 36 and at the same time closes contacts 44 and 45*. close circuit for clutch magnet 41 and start the shaft 34" to rotate. As a result of this rotation of the shaft 34 the reproducer carriage 20 of the phonograph is lowered un- The contacts 44 and 45 til the contact 61 is disengaged from the contact 63*, and the previously traced C11- cuit from the magnet 38 is opened, permitting the upper end of the lever 37 to engage with the other notch 36 of the shaft 34*. In the meanwhile contacts 58 and 59 have been closed, and provided the cams 64 and 65 have reached a position in which the contact pairs 66 and 67 are closed, the following circuit is established:

From battery,'contact 59, contact 58, contact-67, contact 66, left-hand winding of magnet 51 to ground.

Magnet 51 when operated in this circuit removes the transmitter of phonograph 2 from association with the telephone circuit indicated at 68 and 69, and associates the transmitter 47 of the phonograph 3 with said telephone-circuit. Finally, when the contacts 57 and 58 are engaged, a circuit is established from battery, contacts 59, 58,

57, 62 and 61, magnet 38 to ground. Magnet 38 attracts its armature, releasing the shaft 34 and closing the circuit for the clutch magnet 41. Shaft 34 is rotated until the reproducer carriage 20 of the No. 2

phonograph is raised, when the spring 61 is removed from engagement with the spring 62, and the magnet 38 is released, permitting. the lever 37 to engage with the notch 36. Under these conditions, No. 3 phonograph starts to reproduce, and the re producer carriage thereof is fed from left to right, and the reproducer carriage of the No. 2 phonograph is raised, removing the reproducer thereof from the record and feeding the reproducer carriage from right to left at an increased speed to give an interval-at the end of its travel for shifting arms 28 and 29. 7

y In order that the change from one phonograph to the other may not take place during the reproduction of anumber or letter in making the records, the speed of a record is so adjusted that each word or number, as the case may be, and the interval be tween successive numerals or letters occupies one complete convolution of the record of the two phonographs as well as the records rotate in exact'synchronism. By virtue of this arrangement mutilation of the reproduction of a letter or number is prevented, as one or the other of the reproducers is always traveling over a portion of the record track representing a word or letter and the change over from one transmitter .to the other takes place duringthe interval between that part of the record track representing numbers or letters. It will be observed also that before the active reproducer is remm ed -f-roihQQ itS I'operative position the inactive reproducer is made active and the transmitter associated therewith is not associated with the telephone circuit until after the reproducer is in active position.

What is claimed is:

1. A speech reproducing device adapted to successively repeat a' given letter or'numher into a telephone circuit; comprising a pair of identical records and reproducers, a corresponding pair of telephone transmitters-operatively associated with said-reproducers, and means for automatically shifting one or the other of such transmitters into association with such telephone circuit during the interval between successive rec'- 4 0rd tracks on such records.

2. A speech reproducing device for suc-" cessively repeating a number or letter comprising a pair of record surfaces, a corresponding pair-of reproducers and a corresponding pair of telephone transmitters operatively associated with the reproducers, a telephone circuit with which one or the other of such transmitters may be operatively associated, means for feeding the reproducers from the beginning of the record surface-to the end thereof and for returning such reproducers to the beginning of the record surface, and means rendered operative at the end of the travel of one of said reproducers for automatically placing the other reproducer in operation and for then removing the first reproducer from operative positiom 3. A speech reproducing device comprising a pair of' phonographs, a forward and back feed for the reproducers of such phonographs, a pair of telephone transmitters operatively associated with the reproducers of such phonographs, a telephone circuit, and

means operated near the end of the for ward feed of one of such phonographs for starting the forward feed of the other phonograph, associating the'transmitter of the other phonograph with such telephone circuit, and finally reversing the feed of the first phonograph.

4. A speech reproducing device for con tinuously repeating a given number or letter comprising a pair of phonographs adapted to reproduce from identical record surfaces, a pair of telephone transmitters associated with the reproducers of such phonographs, a telephone circuit means for associating said transmitters therewith, means for driving the record surfaces on both phonographs in synchronism, and timing means operated in synchronism with the record surfaces for preventing the operation of the associating means except at the interval between successive record tracks representing the number-or letter.

5. A speech reproducing device including a unit for reproducing repeatedly the same letter or number comprising a pair of identical record surfaces, means for moving said record surfaces in synchronism, a pair of reproducing devices, means for feeding said reproducing. devices across the records of the recording surfaces in opposite directions, means for maintaining one of said reproducers in contact withone of said recording surfaces while said reproducer is being fed in one direction and for maintaining the other reproducer out-of contact with the corresponding record surface while it is being fed in the Jotherdirection, and means operated atthe end of-the travel of one of said reproducers over the correspond ing recording surface for placing the other reproducer in contact with its recording surfaces, for removing the first reproducer from its recording surfaces and for reversing the direction of feed of both reprod'ucers. o

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day of June, A. D. 1917.

GEORGE F. ATWOOD. 

